Millionaire dream boats in 007 heaven

The coast of North Wales will be transformed into a millionaire’s playground with £4 million-worth of seafaring luxury – including James Bond’s favourite cruiser.

Among the stars of the All-Wales Boat Show on July 24-28 will be Sunseeker Cheshire which is showcasing its £300,000 Sunseeker Portofino 40.

Sunseeker cruisers have featured prominently in the several Bond movie blockbusters. In Quantam of Solace, two Sunseeker motoryachts and another Sunseeker model featured in one of the biggest 007 boat chases ever.

It was the fourth consecutive time Sunseeker’s world-leading luxury motoryachts had appeared alongside the British superspy, currently played by Daniel Craig, who hails from Chester..

Adding to the sumptuous theme, there will a Maclaren sports car, a Bentley and a Rolls Royce from top of the range dealer, Synter Ltd, from Knutsford.

The All-Wales Boat Show – the first national boat show of Wales – will be split between Conwy and Deganwy Quay marinas, with visitors ferried across the River Conwy from one harbour side to the other.

There will be a range of craft – from the lustrous Portofino 40 to tiny coracles – on show. Plus there will be the world bath-tubbing championships along with the chance to try out some of the equipment on sale, and a variety of events and entertainment.

Also on show will be a unique rowing boat, hand-built in Gwynedd, It’s the latest design from Classic Sailboats, where watersports instructor Adrian Richardson has joined forces with his father-in-law John Jones, a master boat-builder.

At their yard at Wern Difyr, Bethel, near Caernarfon, they’ve come up with the 14ft rowing boat, which can carry up to four people but is suitable for one and two rowers, and which is perfect for fun on rivers, lakes and in harbours,

The range will be called Menai 14, but the name of the latest rowing boat will be unveiled at the All-Wales Boat Show.

Among the other products being launched is a new leisure version of the survival kit made by Bethesda based Blizzard Survival for the British and US military for use in the world’s war zones.

Organised by event management and marketing firm, Sbarc, the show will provide a shop window for £4 million worth of boats.

Managing Director Davina Carey-Evans said: “I can’t wait to see the Sunseeker cruise into the River Conwy and the Bentleys rollup for the show, they will be real head-turners.

“There’s something for everybody at the show, we all love to look at luxury items, such as craft such as the Sunseeker, or swish Bentleys, and we all love to occasionally daydream about how it would be among the elite who can spend their time relaxing in such a manner.”

Show goers can get in some star-spotting, as the Sunseeker will be on display at the front of the pontoon area, with a hospitality area – and the luxury motors – at the head of the walkway for invited VIP guests, said Jonathan Kingsley, of Sunseeker Cheshire

“We are looking forward to showing off the Portofino on the water. We’ve only recently opened an office in Cheshire because we realised that many of our customers are based in north west England, and it was easier for them to have us on their doorstep,” explained Jonathan.

“We know that the Sunseeker Portofino 40 will be popular at this show, and we certainly expect to be taking orders, not just turning heads. Many of our customers like to keep their cruisers handy for where they live – and so North Wales is perfect, given its road and rail links with Manchester.

“However you are just as likely to see a Sunseeker cruiser in the Caribbean or the Med.”

The Sunseeker Portofino 40 sleeps up to five in two cabins. It can reach 32 knots and boasts large windows, a stateroom and fully fitted kitchen -and even comes with air conditioning.

The Sunseeker sports cruiser, which costs from £300,000, is the little sister to the company’s top of the range Sunseeker 155. Despite having a £22m price-tag, the super yacht has already been won orders while still on the drawing board from some of the world’s business magnates.

The bespoke Sunseeker boats are hand-finished in the company’s base in Poole, where 2,500 work in Sunseeker’s shipyard and technical testing centre.

According to Davina, the aim is to help Wales grab a bigger share of the marine industry that generates around £3 billion in the UK every year.

She added: “The boat show is a celebratory festival of all water-based activities promises to dazzle with the very best in boating, with an amazing array of watersports and incredible outdoor activities plus wonderful leisure opportunities.

“There will be yachts fit for millionaires, the tallest ship ever to have sailed into the harbour at Conwy, hand-crafted traditional boats such as coracles, plus the chance to try your hand at everything from bathtubbing and paddle-boarding to sail boats and diving.

“For landlubbers, there’s mouth-watering food and wine to sample and you can also take a ride across the River Conwy, from one marina to another or stroll along the coastal path between the two, to get a view of the historic waterfronts and the line-up of boats – with plenty on offer to buy.

“We are very excited about the huge potential of the event, especially as it’s the only boat show that uses the water to actually transport people.

“It’s the first ever National Boat Show for Wales and what’s interesting is how far and wide the exhibitors are coming from – from all across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe.

“We believe the timing is perfect, too, because it’s taking place the same time as the Conwy River Festival.

“Two million adults in the UK enjoy water-based activities and the marine sector generates £66.7 million in Wales alone.

“Wherever you go in Wales, you are never far away from a river, lake or coastline which is why it’s renowned for not only offering every water sport activity possible but also some of the very best facilities to do so, so it is only fitting that we have our own boat show.

“Conwy boasts two marinas and a reputation for outstanding water sport amenities. It is also a major tourist attraction in its own right being a world heritage site with its own medieval castle so is the perfect location for a show of this stature and size.

“And with its easy accessibility whether by car, plane, train or even boat, it will appeal to a wide target audience from not only all of Wales but also the North West, Midlands, Isle of Man and Ireland.”